LHC accepts apology of chief secretary in contempt plea

Judge says conduct of CS tantamount to undermining authority of court

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday accepted the apology of the Punjab chief secretary in a contempt petition for not complying with the court orders in connection with the demolition of two shops in Toba Tek Singh.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed appeared before the court of Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti where he tendered his unconditional apology. The court, accepting his apology, warned of initiating contempt proceedings against him if he again failed to appear before the court.



The court directed the chief secretary to submit within two-week a compliance report about an order of the LHC being flouted since 1986.

Previously, the court had expressed serious concerns over the absence of the chief secretary despite repeated notices and issued his warrants. The judge had observed the conduct of the chief secretary tantamount to undermining the authority of the court. The judge had ordered him to appear in person to explain as to why the court orders were not being complied with.

Taj Din, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, had moved a contempt petition seeking action against the local district administration for not allotting him an alternative property against his shop demolished by the government.



The petitioner was a tenant of a seven-marla plot of district council on which he had constructed a shop. He submitted that the LHC also decided the case in his favour in 1986, however, since then he had been waiting for the implementation of the order.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2017.